Update: Google's New Public DNS Service -- and Data Retention Issues

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: lauren () vortex com
> Date: December 3, 2009 12:44:41 PM EST
> To: lauren-blog-notify () vortex com
> Subject: Lauren Weinstein's Blog Update: Google's New Public DNS  
> Service -- and Data Retention Issues

> Lauren Weinstein's Blog Update: Google's New Public DNS Service --  
> and Data Retention Issues
>
>                           December 03, 2009
>
>
> --- 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000645.html
>
>
>
> --- 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Greetings.  In a move potentially of significant importance to the  
> vast
> majority of Internet users who do not run their own DNS servers to
> resolve Internet site domain names, Google <a
> href="http://googlecode.blogspot.com/2009/12/introducing-google- 
> public-
> dns-new-dns.html">has announced</a> their own publicly accessible DNS
> service.
>
> Unlike some other publicly accessible DNS services that may redirect
> nonexistent domain queries for advertising purposes, Google <a
> href="http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/ 
> intro.html">explicit
> ly states</a> that "Google Public DNS never blocks, filters, or
> redirects users."
>
> This is a key point for users who by default are configured to resolve
> their Internet DNS queries through sometimes restrictive ISP DNS
> services that may redirect or even block some DNS queries.
>
> Using a different DNS service is usually as "easy" as changing the IP
> addresses in your OS DNS settings, but note that if your ISP is
> actually diverting the TCP/IP ports that DNS uses to communicate, it
> will be impossible for you to switch DNS servers through normal
> mechanisms.  (For more information on testing for this condition,
> please see my <a
> href="http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000377.html";>Testing Your
> Internet Connection for ISP DNS Diversions</a> page.)
>
> A concern that frequently arises with DNS services is their logging
> policies.  A DNS server potentially can gather a great deal of
> information about the Internet sites that you use.  Both some ISPs and
> particular public DNS services have been criticized for their DNS data
> retention policies, which sometimes provide for indefinite or long
> retention of full DNS logging data.
>
> Google has obviously recognized the sensitivity of this issue.     
> Their
> <a href="http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/ 
> privacy.html">separate
> privacy policy</a> for the Google Public DNS strikes me as utterly
> reasonable, particularly given its very rapid (24-48 hours) deletion  
> of
> what I would consider to be the key privacy-sensitive data.
>
> No doubt this won't satisfy some hard-core Google haters, who will
> either suggest that Google shouldn't log any DNS query data even for a
> very short period of time -- or will simply claim that Google is lying
> about their privacy and data retention policies.
>
> But I view graduated "data destruction" policies such as this one
> announced by Google as being completely appropriate to provide for
> reasonable research purposes without unreasonably impacting user
> privacy concerns.  I can't help those critics who seem to cynically
> assume that Google is a serial liar about their privacy or other
> policies, or are convinced that integrated circuits were an "alien
> technology" gift from an extraterrestrial civilization.
>
> Since I run my own DNS servers, I'm not in an immediate position to
> rigorously test the real-world performance of Google's new DNS  
> service.
> But I'd be interested in your reports about this, including as much
> detail as you care to provide.
>
> DNS is, for better or worse, at the heart of today's Internet.    It  
> will
> be fascinating to see what Google's efforts in this area will bring
> forth over time.
>
> --Lauren--
>
>
> --
> Powered by Movable Type
> Version 2.64
> http://www.movabletype.org/



-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com